Coffee Saves Lives
by crazyfanfic
Summary: Luke and Lorelai are just friends, but it could develop into something more. Rory is a freshman at Yale going on her first date with Logan. Chapter 3 is up!
1. Chapter 1

OK, this is my first Gilmore Girls fic, infact it's my first fic in general, so please please give constructive criticism. I really don't want anyone to lie to me about this because I know I need improvement, and how else am I going to get it? Without further adieu I present to you my story.

* * *

Luke's diner--

"Coffee can kill you" Lorelai mouthed to Rory behind Luke's back, causing her to burst out laughing, spitting her coffee all over the table.

"Mom! Look what you made me do!" Rory yelled, still laughing.

Luke turned around, and Lorelai smiled at him sweetly. "I wasn't making fun of you," she said. "I don't know why Rory was laughing. I swear I'm telling the truth."

"How do I stand you?" Luke gave her one of his trademark glares and walked off, shaking his head. He could barely contain the smile that he always had when Lorelai was around. He couldn't believe it had been eight years since they had first met, her begging for coffee. He sighed, _some things never change._

"I'm off to school, then," Rory said, frantically trying to wipe the coffee off the table with a napkin that looked like it had been made for a midget.

"Aww, so soon? Come on, we can stay and have loads more fun making fun of Luke!" Lorelai said, snickering evilly. "We'll annoy him so much that he'll start yelling and then Taylor will come and him and start yelling at him and then we can just steal some more coffee and…"

"Don't you have work?" Rory interrupted.

"You're no fun."

"Hello? Work? This is how we get money to pay for things, in case you didn't notice."

"Of course I noticed! But who cares? Michel will take care of everything, so that by the time I get to the Inn all the guests will be gone and Michel will be curled up in a ball in the corner screaming French obscenities. See? I got it all worked out."

"Very nice," Rory replied sarcastically. "You're the best manager ever, Mom. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't totally love you."

"Do I smell sarcasm?" Lorelai asked.

"No, of course not! Why would I ever be sarcastic?" Rory asked, smiling innocently at her mom.

"I dunno, maybe my irresistible charm has effects on you…"

"OK, going now before you start talking about how good and smart you are, and how any guy would be totally stupid to turn you down."

Rory walked out the door, got into her car, and drove off.

"Luke! More coffee!" Lorelai shouted into the storeroom.

She heard a loud crash and Luke came running out just in time. Had he stayed a minute longer the entire shelf of flour would have come crashing down right on top of him.

"Hey Luke, I want coffee." Lorelai told him, totally oblivious to the fact that Luke could have very well been seriously injured.

"Get it yourself." Luke said. "Are you always this annoying?"

"Yup" Lorelai said, smiling. "24/7. I could make a ton of money off it if people paid me to be annoying. But if there were such a thing, Michel would already make enough money off it so that he didn't have to work with me anymore. And since he's still working at the Inn…"

"Yeah, I get it." Luke said and waded back into the storeroom.

Lorelai busied herself behind the counter, pouring coffee and grabbing a muffin. "Hey Luke?"

She heard a muffled "_What?_" from the back of the store.

"Should I pay you?"

"No, it's on the house. I can't move, so unless you are just _dying_ to give me money you can take the coffee free."

"OK, I'm off then. Bye!"

"See you later."

* * *

Yale campus--

"Hey, Ace." Logan walked up behind Rory, casually taking her coffee and stealing a sip.

"Hey! That's Luke's coffee! That's not some run of the mill coffee that I bought at some vender from some guy who may or may not be selling his stuff legally." Rory said, snatching back the coffee cup.

"OK, I'll sip more carefully next time." Logan replied sarcastically.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Hey, are you free tomorrow night?" Logan asked.

"Um…tomorrow is Friday, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I have dinner with the grandparents every Friday night.

"Oh. What time is it over?"

"I could probably get out of there around 8:30. Are you actually asking me out on a date?" Rory asked.

"Yup. Hey, don't look so surprised, you're the one who wanted to go out in the first place." Logan said, taking another sip of Rory's coffee and setting down again very carefully on her books. "I'll pick you up at nine at your house. Later, Ace." Logan walked away, that secretive smile lingering on his face.

Rory shook her head, picked up her things and walked to class.

Dragonfly Inn--

* * *

"Michel! The phone!" Lorelai yelled in the general area of the front desk.

"What about it?"

"It's ringing!"

"I noticed."

"Answer it, Michel."

"No."

"Michel…" Lorelai said threateningly.

"I'll answer it this time. But this is the last one today. I am tired of acting nice to people I would rather be bashing over the head with heavy objects."

"Just answer it."

"Fine." Michel picked up the phone. "Dragonfly Inn, this is Michel speaking."

"Hello may I speak to Lorelai please? This is her mother." Emily said into the phone from her house.

"It's your mother." Michel said, handing Lorelai the phone noncholantly.

"Oh now I wish you hadn't answered it." Lorelai said, rolling her eyes.

"See? I'm always right! The phone should be left alone at all times." Michel replied.

"Hi, Mom" Lorelai spoke into the phone.

"I was wondering if there was anything special that you might like for dinner tomorrow night." Emily said.

"You're asking me if I want something special to eat tomorrow?"

"Yes, I believe that is what, is it not?"

"Um, yeah, I'm just kind of surprised."

"Why?"

"Well you've never asked me to choose the meal before. You always just make the decision yourself."

"We just fired the cook, so we were going to whip something up and I wasn't sure what to make."

"How about pizza?" Lorelai asked. "We can order out, or heat up some frozen pizza, you can choose that."

"OK, we'll order out." Emily replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Allright…"

"Bye."

"Bye, Mom." Lorelai hung up and looked at the phone quizzically.

"What is it?" Michel asked from across the room.

"My mother just asked for my recommendation for dinner tomorrow and then accepted it. I'm impressed; she must have just won the lottery or something."

"You scare me sometimes." Michel said, looking at Lorelai.

"Right back at ya." Lorelai replied, smiling.

Gilmore House--

* * *

"Rory? Are you here?" Lorelai yelled, dropping her keys on the front table.

"Hey Mom! How was work?"

"Good, a little weird, but good. School?"

"I had a weird day too."

"Talk, please."

"Logan asked me out." Rory told her mom, a little guiltily.

"No! He did not!"

"He did"

"Oh, honey, that's great!"

"I don't know…"

"What is it?" Lorelai asked, a little worriedly.

"I just don't know if he's my kind of guy, you know? Like what if I totally hate him? Or what if he hates me?" Rory was getting a little worried herself.

"I'm sure it will be a great date, hon.," Lorelai said, trying to sound confident.

"OK, well the date is set for tomorrow night, after dinner with Grandma and Grandpa."

"Really? What time is he expecting to pick you up?"

"Nine? It's completely OK if I can't get home by then, I'll just call him and tell him the date is off," Rory said, already moving toward the phone.

"Oh no you don't" Lorelai said, quickly snatching up the phone before her daughter could call Logan. "You are going to go on that date with Logan whether you like it or not."

"Aren't you supposed to be against this?" Rory asked hopefully. "All the other kid's moms get all pissed at them when they want to go out."

"I'm not like the other kids' moms. The sooner you learn that, the better." Lorelai said. "I'll just call my parents and tell them that we have to leave a little early." Lorelai started dialing the number when she suddenly remembered something. She quickly set the phone back down. "Uh, Rory, we can't leave this particular dinner early."

"Why not!"

"Because my mom called me and asked for my recommendation of food and we are going to have pizza, so I can't call them and tell them I want to ditch. They'll think I hate them, which is not really that far from the truth, but I'd like for them not to know that."

"Rory?" Lorelai asked, looking at her non-responsive daughter.

"Grandma called you? And asked for a recommendation for food? And she accepted yours?"

"Yes, I was a little shocked at first too." Lorelai said sympathetically.

"We're having pizza. At your parents' house. Wow, this day just keeps getting weirder."

"Hey, I have an idea. We'll go over there early so we can leave early and you can go on your date with Logan." Lorelai smiled.

"OK, call them. Right now before I freak out and smash the phone."

"I'm calling them from the other room!" Lorelai said, and walked into the kitchen.

Rory sat down. _What the hell am I getting myself into?_


	2. Surprises All Around

Elder Gilmore House—

Lorelai hesitated for a minute and adjusted her jacket before knocking on the door of her parents' house. She had called the night before to tell them that she and Rory would be coming a little early, around 6:30. Lorelai had explained to her mother that Rory needed to "work on a project with her friends for school." Lorelai knew that she shouldn't tell her mother that Rory was going on a date. Especially since the date was with Logan.

Rory had only come home the other night because she had wanted to spend sometime with her mother, and plus _The Way We Were_ was on TV. How could she pass that up? Rory had called about an hour before she showed up, which seemed kind of odd to Lorelai. Rory had been more organized since she started at Yale and she almost always planned her days at Stars Hollow well in advance. Lorelai knew something was up but she didn't dare ask. She didn't want Rory getting all defensive on her. However, Rory told her anyway, leaving almost nothing out. So here she was, standing on her parents' front porch daydreaming at 6:30 when Rory shook her out of it.

"Mom! Come on, are you just gonna stand there for the rest of the night?" Rory asked.

Lorelai looked up at Rory standing in the doorway with Emily.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"Well maybe you should think less" Rory told her, laughing.

"Be quiet, you," Lorelai said and hung up her jacket on the horrendously ugly coat hanger in her parents' front hall. "Let's go eat, then." She walked into the living room and sat down on the spotless white couch in the middle of the room.

"Would you like something to eat? Wine?" Emily asked her daughter.

"Sure, white wine would be great."

"Rory? Something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Rory answered. "So I hear we're having a new dinner tonight! Pizza is really good, you know."

"Yes, we ordered it from the little Italian place a couple of blocks down the road. They assured us that we would not harm ourselves eating it."

"Well that's good to know, Mom" Lorelai said, sharing a smile with Rory. "So when is it gonna be here?"

"The restaurant told us it would be here in half an hour."

"Well then we can just wait in the living room until it comes, right? Do you have anything to drink?" Lorelai asked her mother. Usually as soon as they set foot in the house they were whisked away to the living room and drinks appeared magically.

"We can't go in there!" Emily blocked the door. "Your, um, father is studying and he needs his peace and quiet. We'll just sit in the dining room until the food comes. I have a few drinks set up in there."

"Why is Dad studying in the living room?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know, you know how he gets sometimes. He, um, does odd things occasionally." Emily stuttered.

"OK, mom," Lorelai looked quizzically at her daughter and Rory looked back, just as confused.

They walked into the dining room and sat down. Rory and Lorelai were both extremely mystified by now. Lorelai was sure her mother was hiding something in the living room. She just wasn't sure what it was.

Gilmore House—

"Honey, are you ready yet?" Lorelai shouted down the hall.

"What am I going to wear!" Rory screamed back.

"Rory! Logan's going to be here any minute now and you _still_ don't have an outfit?"

"No, I mean what am I supposed to look like for Logan? Preppy? Bad assy? Girly? Mom, I'm freaking out here!"

Lorelai sighed and started down the hallway. "Ok, I'm coming. You've been doing this for years Rory, this makes you look a little pathetic, don't you think?"

"Thanks for the ego boost, Mom." Rory replied sarcastically.

Lorelai walked into her daughter's room, which was covered in the guts of Rory's closet. She picked up a layered aqua knee-length skirt and a white polo shirt. "Here, wear your blue sandals and put on some blue eye shadow and you're all set."

"How do you do that? That took you all of ten seconds. I've been staring at these clothes for half an hour!"

"It's my superpower. Now come on! Get dressed!" Lorelai smiled at her daughter and walked out of the room.

Rory dressed hurriedly and slipped on her shoes. "Ok, Mom, I'm ready."

Lorelai came out of the kitchen and smiled at her daughter. "You look great, honey. You're gonna knock his socks off."

The doorbell rang and Rory froze. "Mom?"

"Ok, let's do this thing."


	3. Decision on a Whim

School is over next Tuesday, so hopefully I will be able to update more regularly then. Thank you to my reviewers and enjoy!

* * *

Logan's car— 

"So, where are you taking me?" Rory asked.

Logan looked over at her and smiled. "Somewhere special."

Rory smiled back and sat back in her seat. Everything had gone smoothly at her house and she was happy that her mom hadn't done anything too funny or embarrassing. She seemed to like Logan, and Logan hadn't said anything about not liking Lorelai, so Rory was happy. She couldn't wait to see where Logan was taking her. He had the money and connections to get in anywhere, but he knew that she didn't really like real fancy places. Rory had figured out where his dorm was; in the building right next to hers. He was a good writer, and he was witty, smart, and funny.

_And hey, he doesn't look too bad either._ Rory thought to herself, smirking.

Logan caught her look. "What?"

"Nothing, just thinking." Rory said.

"About…"

"You."

"So the smirk _was_ for me." Logan grinned, chuckling.

"Yup."

"I like that."

"You like what?"

"That I made you smirk."

"Weirdo."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Ok, what are we in like second grade?"

"No, but I'm right."

"Sure." Rory crossed her arms. Suddenly, she started giggling uncontrollably.

Logan looked over at her and arched his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I just realized how amazingly stupid we sound. I'm not usually this nervous on first dates."

"Yeah, me neither."

Logan and Rory shared a smile and a settled into a comfortable silence until they pulled into the driveway of Chipotle.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Chipotle with all my heart and soul and I said not fancy, but fast food?" Rory looked over at Logan.

Logan grinned secretively. "I have something planned. Don't worry, Ace." He said off her doubtful look.

Rory frowned a little but didn't argue with him. She wanted this night to be perfect. She waited for Logan to open her door and help her out. He took her hand and they walked into the restaurant together. Immediately, dozens of workers rushed over to them, practically picking up Rory and seating her at a special table that had been decorated and was candlelit. Logan smiled and sat down across from her.

"I paid them to cook you whatever you want, and they have a DJ with every type of music."

"You mean they can cook me food that isn't what they normally have?" Rory asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, or can you have some of their regular food, if you want." Logan was nervous. He thought she might not like this because he was sort of flaunting his money. He only did it for her, though.

Rory was speechless. It was kind of weird, but Logan had reserved her favorite restaurant and had special cooks come in so that she could have anything, _anything_ she wanted, but she was still in her favorite place.

* * *

Lorelai and Rory's house- 

Lorelai picked up the phone and dialed the diner's number. She knew it by heart, but she didn't know why. She didn't call very often.

"Hey, Luke…Yeah, I'm fine…No I was just kind of lonely…Yeah, Rory's on a date with Logan…Yes, the rich kid…No, she's not high…No, my parents didn't force her into doing this." Lorelai rolled her eyes, sighed, and put the phone down on the couch without turning it off. Luke was on another one of his famous rants.

"Are you done yet?" Lorelai yelled into the phone.

"Yeah, but I still can't believe you let her go!" Luke yelled back.

"Yeah, well, in case you didn't notice, Rory is 19 and plenty able to actually choose the guys she dates."

"But you're her mother. Aren't you supposed not let her date or something?"

"I repeat, she is 19. There are times in life when people get old enough to take care of themselves. For Rory that was about when she was 10 years old. I have yet to break free of my parents, despite the fact that the iron grip they have on me is horribly tight and choking. That has nothing do with Rory, though."

"…"

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you alive?"

"Yeah."

"Can you put together a two-word sentence?" Lorelai asked a little worriedly.

"Yeah."

"Could've fooled me."

"Yeah, well."

"Ok, you're starting to scare me here."

"Why?" Luke asked honestly, afraid that she had read his mind.

"Because a minute ago you were talking a mile a minute about how Rory shouldn't be going on a date, much less with a rich guy named Logan."

"Things change." _If only she knew._

"They never change that fast with you, Luke."

"Oh no, they've been the same for eight years." Luke said wistfully.

"Um, Luke? What are you doing?" Lorelai was starting to get scared. Luke never acted like this before. "Do you want me to come over there?"

"If you want to, sure." Luke was no longer listening to what Lorelai was saying. All he was thinking about was how to ask her. Now was as good a time as any. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Do you want to have dinner sometime?" Luke asked and hung up. _What the hell was I thinking? Why would she want to go on a date with me? Now she'll never come back in here. I lost her forever._ Luke pounded the palm of his hand on his forehead.

Lorelai walked into the diner. "I'd love to."


End file.
